China yesterday urged all parties in the forthcoming six-party talks to strive for concrete progress, while no conclusion date has been set for the long-running nuclear negotiations.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday that China will maintain an "open attitude" toward the talks, set to begin on Monday at the Beijing Diaoyutai Guesthouse.
He said the opening of the second phase of the fifth round of the nuclear talks reflected that all parties are ready to have an exchange of ideas.
The talks will revolve on implementing the obligations and consensus reached in the joint statement of September 2005, Qin said.
He said the meeting will be flexible as the parties concerned will be allowed two-way and multilateral discussions.
Qin stated that whether the talks achieve substantial progress will depend on joint efforts from all parties concerned. He urged close cooperation in working toward the goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
US trade complaints rejected
Qin rejected US complaints that China is not living up to its WTO commitments on the eve of a visit by US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to discuss currency and other contentious issues.
"We have implemented our obligations and commitments earnestly and have abided by the rules of the World Trade Organization," Qin said.
He said the Chinese market is gradually opening up, and "disputes between the two countries should be solved through friendly dialogue on an equal footing."
He also rejected a US government report released Monday that stated China was failing to live up to its WTO pledges and warned that Washington would not hesitate to pursue sanctions.
China urges US to abandon double standards on human rights
Qin urged the US to abandon its human rights double standards and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.
He was responding to the US State Department spokesman's statement on International Human Rights Day, in which the US side criticized China and other countries' human rights records.
Qin said China has made remarkable achievements on human rights protection.
"The achievements are there for all to see," he said, adding that the US "is not qualified to label itself as a human rights guard." He said that the Chinese government suggested the US should examine its own human rights problems.
China investigates sale of a rare fossilized dinosaur nest in US
The Chinese government is investigating the sale of a rare fossilized dinosaur nest, reportedly discovered in China, for US$420,000 at an auction in Los Angeles.
"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the sale and is conducting an investigation into it," Qin said.
An unusually well-preserved 65 million-year-old dinosaur nest containing fossilized eggs was sold by auction house Bonhams & Butterfields on December 4.
It contains 22 un-hatched eggs arranged in a circular pattern around the edge. Embryonic remains were found in 19 eggs with one removed for study. Some eggs were so well-preserved that the embryo curled inside is still visible.
US media reported that the dinosaur nest was originally unearthed in south China's Guangdong Province in 1984.
"If it is proved that the dinosaur nest was unearthed in China, the Chinese government will request its return back to China according to relevant international laws and conventions," Qin said.
China reiterates one-China policy on Taiwan official's visit to Gambia
Commenting on an upcoming visit to Gambia of Su Tseng-chang, head of the Taiwan "Executive Yuan," Qin said China hopes that certain countries adhere to the one-China policy generally recognized and observed by the international community.
Qin said China firmly opposes any separatist activities in any name and form and under any excuse, aiming for "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."
He also rebuffed the rumor saying China used financial benefits to make Chad sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
The Taiwan authorities have conducted money diplomacy in recent years to achieve the goal of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," he noted.
He said the Chinese government will carry out friendly cooperation with other countries on the basis of the one-China policy, as well as equality and reciprocity.
China, Japan, India should work for regional stability, prosperity
China, India and Japan should make joint efforts to promote regional stability and prosperity, Qin said.
Commenting on the upcoming Japan visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Qin said the three countries have similar interests in promoting common development and realizing regional prosperity.
Qin said he hopes the three major players along with other countries in this region can strengthen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation. A new concept of security and development, relying on peace, development and cooperation, should be set up, he noted.
It is reported that Singh is scheduled to start a four-day visit to Japan on Wednesday, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Tokyo in five years.
China to hold seminar on Israeli, Palestinian issue
Qin also announced the opening of a four-day "Seminar of Israeli and Palestinian People for Peace on the Middle East Question" in Beijing, beginning tomorrow.
Qin said at the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the former Minister of State of the Palestinian National Authority Abdel Kader Hamed and former Israeli Minister of Justice Yossi Beilin will head the two delegations, also meeting with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.
Qin said this is the first time that China has hosted such a seminar in Beijing, showing the country's firm support for all efforts conducive to peace in the Middle East.
Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun will address the seminar, which will also be attended by Chinese envoy to the Middle East Sun Bigan and other academic researchers.
The seminar will be conducted through bilateral and trilateral discussions.
China hopes Chile can maintain stability after Pinochet's death
Addressing former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet's death, Qin said China hopes Chile can maintain political stability.
"We have read reports on Pinochet's death. China and Chile are friendly countries and we hope and believe Chile can maintain political stability, economic development and social progress," he said.
Pinochet, former Chilean president from 1973 to 1990, died at 91 on Sunday from heart complications.
Unrest erupted in Chile after Pinochet's death with some demonstrators arrested in some Chilean cities. The Chilean government urged the public to keep calm on Sunday evening.
China hopes for proper solution to Azerbaijan conflict
Qin said China hopes the relevant parties in the Azerbaijan conflict will find a proper solution that complies with international law.
The Chinese government respects the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and supports the UN Security Council resolutions on the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, he said.
Qin said China will work with the international community to find a peaceful solution to the issue.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a region of Azerbaijan mostly populated by ethnic Armenians. On Sunday, it held a referendum about a constitution.
Preliminary results from the region's election commission on Monday showed 98.6 percent of the voters approved the constitution. The region has 90,000 voters and voter turnout reached 87 percent. However, Azerbaijan refused to recognize the results of the vote, dismissing it as "a farce."
The EU and other international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said they would not recognize the referendum, Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.
Kazakh president, Slovak FM to visit China
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will visit China from December 19 to 23, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia Jan Kubis will visit from December 19 to 21, Qin announced.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily December 13, 2006)
